The Pakhan’s Haunted Heart

Chapter 03

**Dmitri**

THE MUSEUM felt different at night. I hadn’t planned on going to the exhibition, but I got a tip that the ledger I’d been searching for, the thing that could shift power in the underworld, was here.

The ledger initially belonged to Arkhivary—a faction that thrived in the shadows. But that faction no longer existed. Whatever it was, and whatever power it had, died the moment Volsky chose ambition over blood. He took someone precious from me, robbing me off the chance to be with Alyona. Sacrificing his own daughter for greed was a sin that could hardly be forgiven.

An eye to an eye.

I decided to take something from him. Arkhivary. I didn’t just simply crush Arkhivary, I tore them apart from within. I used their own people against another, letting them doubt each other until they fell apart. By the time they realized what was going on, it was already too late.

Every connection they had, every hidden corner they relied on—I tracked it down, got in, and broke it. Their secrets came to me, delivered by the very ones who used to be their side. Some were bribed while others were threatened. A few simply chose survival.

But in the midst of that chaos, Volsky vanished, taking the ledger with him. No one knew where he was now. That bastard was good at hiding. Some claimed that he was already dead but I refused to believe it. Not until I saw his body myself.

I adjusted the cuff of my sleeve as I stepped through the main hall. If the tip was true and the ledger was here, then it could mean that Volsky was here too. It could be a setup but I was willing to take a risk.

My jaw tightened as my gaze swept the room. I had my men positioned at the entrance and every possible exit Volsky might use to escape.

I stopped in front of a painting. “The Last Bloom of Aurelia,” I murmured, reading the label beneath it.

I examined the painting carefully. Knowing Arkhivary, their ledgers would never be something as obvious as a simple notebook. It would be disguised as something ordinary—something no one would think to question. In a place like this, it could be anything—a painting, a sculpture, or any display pieces.

“Enjoying the exhibit?” someone asked.

“Mostly,” I replied.

It was a lie. Who would enjoy searching for something among hundreds of display pieces? I studied the painting one last time but I found nothing about it that seemed out of place.

I turned to see who had spoken but the moment I did, everything stilled. For a moment, it felt as if the world around me stopped, the noise of the gallery disappearing completely.

It was because right then—there stood someone who I thought I would never see again.

“Alyona?”

I blinked twice, thinking that my eyes were playing tricks on me. But she was still there, standing in front of me.

“How could it be?” I whispered, hardly believing it myself.

Alyona died that night.

I saw it with my own eyes. I failed to save her, and I’ve been living with that regret ever since. So why—why was she here as if nothing had happened? As if that night were nothing but just a dream?

My chest tightened. She was still the same. Not a single trace of what she had been through. I couldn’t move. My mind went blank as I stared at her, trying to make sense of something that refused to.

For a fleeting second, I almost pulled her into a hug to make sure she was real. But then realization hit me.

There was no way this woman was Alyona. She’s dead, and she won’t be coming back anymore.

I stepped forward and grabbed her arm, my hand grasping her almost painfully, nails nearly digging into her skin.

“Who are you?” I asked through gritted teeth. Whatever pain and longing I once felt were gone but was replaced by a surge of anger. “Who sent you here? Was it Volsky?”

The woman struggled against my grip. “Let me go! I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she whimpered.

I let out a humorless laugh. “Impressive,” I muttered, my voice laced with disbelief. “Volsky really went out of his way this time.” I look at her face, searching for flaws, for signs, or anything that would show this was merely a lie. “Tell me,” my voice softened as I spoke, but was still sharp. “Where did he find you? I’m sure it wasn’t easy finding someone who resembles his dead daughter so much.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could already see the attention we were drawing. A few guests had been staring at us openly.

“I think… you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” she said, her voice unsteady.

I frowned, my grip tightened slightly. I wanted to drag her out and press her for answers. Where was Volsky at this moment? What was he plotting? Was the tip about the ledger being here nothing more than a lie—just to lure me in?

A dry, bitter laugh escaped me. “Volsky has a talent for reopening wounds and making them sting.”

“What’s happening here, Alessia?”

I let go of her arms and turned toward the person who spoke, my eyes turning cold as I looked at him.

“K-Kael? You’re already here.”

The man who she called Kael pulled her closer to his side, his eyes silently threatening me. If looks could kill, I wouldn’t have survived even another second.

“I-Is there a problem here, Mr. Volkov?”

A woman stepped up beside them. I gave her only a passing look.

“I’m Natalya, one of the staff. Please let me know if there’s anything I can assist you with.”

I didn’t respond. My attention was still on the two in front of me. I looked down at their entwined hands, lingering for a beat before I looked back at her. “So your name’s Alessia?”

She nodded. “Yes, I’m a curator here.”

I exhaled deeply, raking a hand through my hair as my gaze swept the room. “It appears what I’m looking for isn’t here.”

I turned to leave, then paused just long enough to glance back at her. “Tell Volsky I appreciated his gift. I’ll make sure to return the favor next time,” I said, my voice dripping with irony.

My expression hardened as I stepped out of the museum. A car was parked just outside. I slid into the backseat. Mikhael, seated in the front, glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

“Pakhan,” he said cautiously, almost deferential. “What happened inside? Was the ledger not in there?”

I leaned back, letting the silence stretch before answering. “No, it wasn’t in there.”

Mikhael tightened his hold on the steering wheel “Someone wanted you to come.”

“It was Volsky.” I turned my head slightly and watched as the city slid past in muted streaks. “A year of silence… and now he suddenly decides to give us a hint that he’s still alive.”

“Are you certain it’s him? Volsky isn’t the only enemy we have.”

I closed my eyes briefly, her face popped up in my mind unexpectedly. It wasn’t Alyona… just someone who looked like her. And yet, she had already thrown me off balance.

I scoffed to myself. How much lower could I sink?

“There’s someone I want you to look into,” I said, my voice turning cold. “She works at the museum. I want everything you can find on her.”

There was a moment of silence. Then Mikhael replied, “Understood. Who is this person?”

“Her name is Alessia.”